Music Friday: Can a Little Band of Gold Keep Her Love From Going Cold?

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you sensational songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist Glen Hansard ponders whether a simple band of gold has the strength to save his marriage in the 2015 folk song “Wedding Ring.”

Written by Hansard, “Wedding Ring” is about a man who loves his wife but has serious doubts about her fidelity. He describes her as a “wildcat on the prowl” and fears he may be losing her.

In the catchy opening verse, the Irish singer-songwriter-actor-musician asks, “Wedding ring, wedding ring / Little band of gold / Will you be strong enough to keep her / Keep her love from going cold?”

“Wedding Ring” appears as the second track of his second studio album Didn’t He Ramble. The 2015 LP scored a nomination for Best Folk Album at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. It also performed well on the charts, rising to #5 on the US Billboard Folk Albums chart and #16 on the US Billboard Top Alternative Albums chart. Three years earlier at the 55th Grammy Awards, Hansard took home the coveted gilded gramophone in the category Best Musical Theater Album.

Born in Dublin in 1970, Hansard dropped out of school as a 13-year-old and eked out a living as a street performer. At the age of 20, he formed a band called The Frames and later became one half of the folk rock duo The Swell Season.

He showed off is acting chops in The Commitments (1991) and starred in the musical Once (2007). In that role, he performed the lead ballad “Falling Slowly” with co-star Markéta Irglová. The tune netted him an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

According to Allmusic.com, Hansard is an artist who is not afraid to lay bare his soul for his audience to see. Hansard claims his music inspiration comes from three world-class artists.

Says Hansard, “In my house, when I was a kid, there was the holy trinity, which was Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison and Bob Dylan — with Bob sitting center.”

Trivia: Hansard became a dad for the first time in October 2022 at the age of 52.

Please check out the video of Hansard’s live performance of “Wedding Ring” at the Tempodrom in Berlin, where he shares the stage with renowned American jazz trombonist and singer Curtis Fowlkes. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Wedding Ring”
Written and performed by Glen Hansard, featuring Curtis Fowlkes.

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
Keep her love from going cold?

Where you running to now, baby
Running all the time
Where you running to now, darlin’
Running to all the time
Well, I sure hope it’s to your sister
And not that mean trombone player of mine

I’ve been trying to reach you, darlin’
I try, I try in vain
I’ve been trying to reach you, darlin’
Though I try, I try in vain
I always end up losing you
And walking home in the rain

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
Keep her love from going cold?

There’s a wildcat in you, woman
A wildcat on the prowl
There’s a wildcat in you, woman
A wildcat on the prowl
Every time I put my arms around you
I can hear that wildcat growl

I remember when I met you
There was something about the moon
I remember the night I met you
There was something about the moon
I didn’t know if it was waxing or waning
But I knew that you’d be leaving soon

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from getting old?

Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Wedding ring, wedding ring
Little band of gold
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from going cold?

Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from getting old
Will you be strong enough to keep her
To keep her love from going old?

Credit: Andy Witchger, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Post Malone Recounts How He Nearly Lost a $600K Diamond Tooth Down a Drain

In a wild cover story for the current issue of Esquire magazine, pop music juggernaut Post Malone recounts how he almost lost a $600,000 diamond tooth down a Roman drain after a near-tragic Chicken McNugget accident.

Malone was chomping down on his favorite fast food when one of his two diamond canines (the pointy teeth that look like fangs) sprang from his mouth. He snatched it in his hand, but then fumbled the bezel-set bling right down a drain.

"I’m like, '… Man, I’m going to have to go into the ancient Roman sewers,’" he told Esquire.

Undaunted, Malone crafted a retrieval device from a pair of pliers and a takeout-pizza plastic tripod. The rescue was a success and the "Rockstar" artist quickly employed a local dentist to reinstall the 6-carat treasure.

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Malone first revealed his diamond canine replacements on social media back in June of 2021. The 12-carat total weight pair were the result of a year-and-a-half of trial and error by celebrity dentist Thomas Connelly. Malone wanted to take the idea of diamond veneers to the next level. Malone challenged the doc Connelly to create diamond teeth.

“It’s very difficult to cut holes in diamonds without destroying them,” Connelly told Rolling Stone magazine in 2021. He also noted that there was a lot of diamond waste during the cutting process. A 12-carat rough diamond was required to yield a 6-carat canine tooth. Overall, the dentist sourced 40 carats of diamonds from Belgium and had them custom cut in Israel.

In June 2022, Malone released his fourth studio album. It was appropriately titled Twelve-Carat Toothache, a clever tribute to his diamond teeth, one of which almost got away.

Doctor Connelly told Rolling Stone's readers that there's no special method to cleaning diamond teeth. He can just brush them normally.

“He’s now got two functional, full diamond teeth,” Connelly told the publication. “They light up the room. They sparkle, they shine. They’re amazing.”

Malone recently surpassed former record-holder Bruno Mars as the artist with the most RIAA diamond-certified (10 million sold) singles.

Credits: Diamond embeds screen capture via Instagram / connellydds. Post Malone in concert by The Come Up Show from Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Diamond Stats 2022: Russia Mines Most Carats, Botswana Nets Highest Value

The massive Russian Federation and tiny country of Botswana share top honors on 2022's list of the most prolific rough diamond producers in the world.

The Russian Federation extracted 41.9 million carats of diamonds in 2022, placing it on top of the leaderboard, far ahead of #2 Botswana (24.7 million carats) and #3 Canada (16.2 million carats).

The rankings rejigger when we analyze the diamond output in terms of value, with Botswana rising to the top of the list ($4.9 billion), followed by the Russian Federation ($3.5 billion) and Angola ($1.9 billion).

Of the world's 195 countries, only 22 engage in diamond mining. And of that group, the top 10 diamond mining countries accounted for 99.2% of all rough diamonds mined in 2022. World production was 120.2 million carats at a value of $16.2 billion.

Here's the current rankings of the Top-10 diamond producing countries by carat weight and by value. The stats are based on statistics compiled by Kimberly Process (a diamond-industry certification organization) as well as Dr. Ashok Damarupurshad, a precious metals and diamond specialist in South Africa.

Russian Federation: Carat Ranking #1 / Value Ranking #2

According to Dr. Damarupurshad's analysis, Russia produced more than a third (35%) of the world's rough diamonds in 2022 (by weight) and a little over one-fifth of its value.

Botswana: Carat Ranking #2 / Value Ranking #1

Botswana is famous for its gem-quality rough diamonds, six of which rank in the Top 10 of the largest rough diamonds ever discovered. That quality factor is why the country ranked #1 in value, topping its Russian rival by 40% even though its carat output was only 59% of Russia's total.

Canada: Carat Ranking #3 / Value Ranking #4

Dr. Damarupurshad noted that although Canada is also known for producing gem-quality diamonds, its production is on a declining trend as older, richer pipes at the Ekati and Diavik mines deplete. Nevertheless, Canada still ranked #3 in production (16.2 million carats) and #4 in value ($1.8 billion) in 2022.

The next seven countries on the list are all on the continent of Africa. In fact, eight of the top 10 diamond-producing countries are African, accounting for 51% of the world's diamond output by weight, and 66% by value.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Carat Ranking #4 / Value Ranking #11

The disparity in this countries rankings reflects the prevalence of lower-grade rough. The DRC generated 9.9 million carats with a value of just $65 million. The vast majority of diamonds produced in the DRC are used for industrial purposes.

South Africa: Carat Ranking #5 / Value Ranking #5

The home of the 3,106-carat Cullinan Diamond, the largest diamond ever unearthed, South Africa produces consistently high-quality diamonds and has been doing it for more than a century. The Cullinan was found in the Premier Mine in 1905. In 2022, South Africa generated 9.6 million carats valued at $1.5 billion.

Angola: Carat Ranking #6 / Value Ranking #3

Angola produced 8.7 million carats, but banked $1.9 billion — a number topped only by Botswana and Russia. The high value is a testament to a finer grade of rough material unearthed in 2022. Dr. Damarupurshad reported a marginal increase in carats in 2022, but a 20% increase in value compared with 2021.

At this point in the list, production and value take a big step down.

Zimbabwe: Carat Ranking #7 / Value Ranking #7

Zimbabwe's output of 4.4 million carats was about half of the tally of #6 Angola, and the diamond value of $424 million was barely a fourth of Angola's total. Zimbabwe's overall output improved compared to 2021, but the value retreated by nearly 40%.

Namibia: Carat Ranking #8 / Value Ranking #6

This country on the southwest coast of Africa produces gem-quality diamonds sourced largely from off-shore activities. In 2022, Namibia produced 2 million carats with a value of $1.2 billion. Dr. Damarupurshad called Namibian production in 2022 "the diamond mining highlight of the year." The value of diamond output grew by 50% and the price-per-carat grew to $601 — the highest of the Top-20 diamond mining countries in the world.

Lesotho: Carat Ranking #9 / Value Ranking #8

In 2022, this tiny, landlocked country which is completely surrounded by South Africa, scored a #9 spot with a rough diamond output of 727,000 carats and a #8 spot on the value chart with $314 million in revenue. In 2021, Lesotho diamonds generated the highest price per carat ($756), but the country failed to maintain that status in 2022 ($432 per carat).

Sierra Leone: Carat Ranking #10 / Value Ranking #9

Sierra Leone barely managed to remain in the Top 10 in 2022 based on production (688,000 carats) and value ($143 million). Both numbers were slightly down from the country's performance in 2021.

Credit: Image of 342-carat rough diamond mined in Botswana, courtesy of Lucara Diamond.

Music Friday: More Than Three Words and a Diamond Ring, Love Is a 'Powerful Thing'

Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you exciting songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, country star Trisha Yearwood's “Powerful Thing” tells the story of a couple who can't deny the obvious — it's time to take their relationship to the next level.

In her 1998 country hit, Yearwood describes how the couple started out as “strangers on a two way street” with neither one looking to fall in love. But, they are instantly overwhelmed by their amazing chemistry, and the force of the attraction is beyond their control. It's stronger than a driving wind and hotter than a forest fire. Yearwood believes it’s time for them to jump right in and get over their fear of falling.

She sings, “It’s a powerful thing / It’s a powerful thing / More than three words / And a diamond ring / It can open up the heavens / Make the angels sing / Our love, baby, is a powerful thing.”

Written by Al Anderson and Sharon Vaughn, “Powerful Thing” was released as the third single from Yearwood’s album Where Your Road Leads. The song ascended to #6 on the US Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks and scored the #1 spot on Canada’s RPM Country Tracks chart. “Powerful Thing” also appears as the 14th track on the artist’s 2007 album Trisha Yearwood: Greatest Hits.

Patricia Lynn “Trisha” Yearwood was born in 1964 in Monticello, GA, to a school teacher mom and a banker dad. She got her big break as a 21-year-old when she interned for — and was then hired by — MTM Records, which was founded by TV legend Mary Tyler Moore. While working for MTM, Yearwood sang background vocals for new artists, including Garth Brooks (more on him later).

“I got work based on the fact that I showed up on time, I worked cheap, I knew the songs when I got there and I sang on pitch,” Yearwood told People magazine in 2015.

The 59-year-old Yearwood has been a cast member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1999 and has won three Grammy Awards, three Country Music Association Awards, three Academy of Country Music Awards and an American Music Award. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.

She's best known for her hits "She's In Love With The Boy" (1991), "Walkaway Joe" (1992), "The Song Remembers When" (1993), "XXX's and OOO's (An American Girl)" (1994) and "Believe Me Baby (I Lied)" (1996).

In December of 2005, she married Brooks, her longtime friend and collaborator. Seven thousand fans witnessed his onstage proposal to Yearwood earlier that same year in Bakersfield, CA.

Brooks admitted on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that there had always been an undeniable chemistry between the pair. It must have been “a powerful thing.”

Yearwood will be appearing with the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center from October 19-21.

Please check out Yearwood’s live performance of “Powerful Thing” at the 1999 American Music Awards. She is accompanied by her husband Garth Brooks, who is introduced at the time "as her good friend." The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Powerful Thing”
Written by Al Anderson and Sharon Vaughn. Performed by Trisha Yearwood, featuring Garth Brooks.

I’ve never seen two people in my life
More determined to ignore the obvious
We better stop thinking
Let our hearts start doing the talking

You’d have to be stone deaf dumb and blind
Not to see what’s going on with us
So let’s jump in
And get over our fear of fallin’
‘Cause what we got here

It’s a powerful thing
It’s a powerful thing
More than three words
And a diamond ring
It can open up the heavens
Make the angels sing
Our love, baby, is a powerful thing

We started out strangers on a two-way street
Neither one of us lookin’ to fall in love
But we don’t need us a map
To know we’re headed in that direction

Well, it’s out of our hands
And over our heads
It’s something that’s bigger than both of us
Turnin’ back now’s completely out of the question
‘Cause what we got here

It’s a powerful thing
It’s a powerful thing
More than three words
And a diamond ring
It can open up the heavens
Make the angels sing
Our love, baby, is a powerful thing

Stronger than the force of a driving wind
Hotter than a forest fire
There never has been and there never will be
Nothing like the power of you and me, yeah

It’s a powerful thing (It’s a powerful thing)
It’s a powerful thing (It’s a powerful thing)
More than three words
And a diamond ring
It can open up the heavens
Make the angels sing
Our love, baby, is a powerful thing

It’s a powerful thing (It’s a powerful thing)
It’s a powerful thing (It’s a powerful thing)
More than three words
And a diamond ring
It can open up the heavens
Make the angels sing
Our love, baby, is a powerful thing

Credit: Image by DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

'Chicago Med' Star Torrey DeVitto Unveils Radiant-Cut Diamond Engagement Ring

Chicago Med star Torrey DeVitto finally unveiled her radiant-cut diamond engagement ring on September 25 after keeping it under wraps for more than three weeks.

DeVitto announced her engagement to director Jared LaPine with an Instagram post that included a number of cuddly shots, a few of which put her new ring front and center.

The 39-year-old actress revealed in the Instagram caption that LaPine's proposal caught her totally off guard.

"Earlier this month at 5 pm on a weekday while walking the back trails at the farm, still in my PJs and goat boots, he got down on one knee, in what I hoped wasn't poison ivy, and asked for forever," she revealed to her million Instagram followers. "My answer was obvious." She punctuated her post with a red heart emoji.

On his Instagram page, LaPine posted a carousel of engagement photos and the following caption: "On September 1st, I got engaged to my best friend. Now I get to spend every single day as the luckiest man in the world. I love you more than anything and everything." LaPine's emojis included champagne glasses, diamond ring and red heart.

Although many outlets are reporting that the ring features an emerald-cut diamond, due to the intensity of the sparkle and smaller facets, we're pretty sure DeVitto is rockin' an elongated radiant-cut diamond.

A radiant-cut diamond — with 70 facets, compared to the 57 facets of a round brilliant — delivers a clean, modern, edgy look along with a large dose of fire.

DeVitto is best known for playing Dr. Natalie Manning on Chicago Med (2015-2023), as well as Melissa Hastings on Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017). LaPine is a film director and writer.

The couple went Instagram Official this past June when they shared a photo of a romantic embrace. During the summer, DeVitto and LaPine chronicled their multi-city adventures through Spain on their respective Instagram pages.

Credits: Photos via Instagram / torreydevitto.